Rolling-element bearings are used in many applications in which they are exposed to different temperature conditions. In some cases the rolling-element bearing or components thereof may behave differently than the component on which they are mounted when the local temperature changes. For example, the bearing and the component on which the bearing is mounted may have different coefficients of thermal expansion and thus expand or deform differently in response to temperature changes. This problem is encountered, for example, in rolling-element bearings that are used in an aluminum housing. It is therefore sometimes necessary to provide temperature compensation elements between a rolling-element bearing ring and the housing or element on which the rolling-element bearing is mounted.
Some conventional rolling-element bearings include a radially projecting flange on an outer ring. The flange is disposed in a first axial region on an outer surface of the outer ring and has a larger diameter than a second axial region on the outer surface of the outer ring. Some conventional outer rings may include an elastomer ring pushed onto the second axial region, which elastomer ring functions as a temperature compensation element.
The elastomer ring usually has a very high coefficient of thermal expansion. If the outer ring and the housing expand at different rates (e.g., in response to temperature changes), the elastomer ring should expand enough to prevent a gap from developing between the housing and the outer ring. The elastomer ring should thus compensate for the increase in clearance that arises between the bearing outer ring and the housing at an increased operating temperature.
For manufacturing reasons, conventional outer rings often have an undercut at a base of the flange, that is, at a boundary between the flange and the portion of the outer surface of the outer ring having the smaller diameter. The undercut may comprise a radially circulating groove that extends circumferentially around the ring.
When forces act on the elastomer temperature-compensation ring, it begins to deform and, in a sense, flow. This many cause a part of the elastomer ring to flow into the groove which is located next to the elastomer ring. The portion or volume of the temperature compensation ring that flows into the groove is thus not available for performing the clearance compensation function in the axial direction that it is intended to perform. To prevent the elastomer ring from flowing into the groove, it is conventional to place a ring or plate (which may, for example, comprise a metal ring or metal plate) on the second axial area against the flange to cover the groove. However this solution requires the use of an additional component, the ring or plate, and consequently, a separate assembly step.